In that time, I have started graduate studies,finished my first semester,which was alright, I did reasonably well,even though things do seem to be going my way, I ask of myself, why is it that I am still not happy?If it is anything that I have learnt over the course of my short existence, it is that people are inherently conditioned to look for , and pursue happiness.Any and all happiness I have found in the past few months has been from my work, my graduate studies,the projects and assignments therein, but the happiness achieved is much like the 'high' people have told me comes form cigarettes, alcohol or any other intoxicant.
It is fleeting, all too brief,much like the ripples in current or voltage from a rectifier,and I confess, I am nearly an addict, I crave more and more of this such that it is no longer the fleeting passing moment before looking for my next fix.Never before have I seen myself in such similar light to acerbic TV character I used to identify with, Dr.Gregory House(House MD).I really do understand it now, the constant need to have something interesting to occupy oneself with.
Another character, this time,from a movie,who shared the same obsession was Aamir khan's character in the movie 3 idiots.Which, unfortunately I managed to see only yesterday.The unfortunate part is that I took so long to get to see it.
The movie itself ,is in the true Indian way of saying it, 'filmy' in some parts, in the sense that some things would usually never fall into place.But the underlying message is one which everyone needs to hear,and live.The film is first rate, if you haven't seen it, please do.
I learnt a great deal from that movie:
1.Do what you love:
Most of today's society dismisses this as a bromide concocted for the 'losers' of society, those who do not lead a life where they are recognized as someone of standing, in their community, however small.To quote Kevin Spacey "If you aren't a rebel before 20 you've got no heart, if you aren't establishment by 30,you've got no brains."Speaking as someone who jumped on the establishment bandwagon, I might have no right to complain, although, I will say this, in my opinion, there is no establishment,it is a bogeyman concocted by parents and 'upstanding members of the society'.There is always room to change.Even within the most rigid hierarchial organizations.People must realise that their neighbours,parents and relatives are not yardsticks to measure their own success.Anything new, must go through what Gandhi said about his ideals 'First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then, you win.'
2.Dil bada darpok hai:
Another fact which is true,people are afraid to change, everywhere.People fear thought and change more than anything.People have become so conditioned to fear of failure,that they are afraid to think, which indeed, as Ayn Rand puts it in 'Atlas shrugged', the only evil thought.Thinking in a reasonable,rational manner,by a few, is what got the world where it is now,all the progress is by thinking and changing.If the first man did not think of rubbing sticks together to change the temperature of his surroundings, god knows what might have been.Every great discovery and invention has come at the independent work of some independent mind, every horror and destruction has come from trying to force men into a herd of brainless soulless robots.To remove this, the great Richard Feynman suggested as much in the title of one of his books 'What do you care what other people think?'
3.Strive for excellence, success will follow:
"When you discover what you will be in your life, set out to do it as if God Almighty called you at this particular moment in history to do it. don't just set out to do a good job. Set out to do such a good job that the living, the dead or the unborn couldn't do it any better.If it falls your lot to be a street sweeper, sweep streets like Michelangelo painted pictures, sweep streets like Beethoven composed music, sweep streets like Leontyne Price sings before the Metropolitan Opera. Sweep streets like Shakespeare wrote poetry. Sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will have to pause and say: Here lived a great street sweeper who swept his job well. Be the best of whatever you are."
